Vegan Cream Cheese (Easy + Healthy)
Vegan Cream Cheese made with cashews is creamy and smooth with a bit of tang for a tasty dairy-free cream cheese recipe that’s healthy, customizable, and so easy to make!
Bring on the bagels, a batch of homemade cashew cream cheese, and all the fixings for a great breakfast platter or main meal!
Why We Love This Recipe!
- It tastes fresh and delicious and is a perfect substitute for any dairy version of cream cheese.
- It can easily be customized for extra tang or flavored with optional add-ins like herbs and spices.
- It’s easy to make and ready in as little as 15 minutes!
If you’re trying to give up dairy or are just craving a great dairy-free cream cheese, then you are going to love this vegan cream cheese recipe!
Ingredient Notes
In this recipe, cashews are blended with two types of acidic ingredients, creating a slightly tangy and creamy spread that you won’t believe is dairy-free!
Here is everything you’ll need:
- Raw cashews – raw cashews have a neutral flavor, making them ideal for this non-dairy cream cheese recipe. We recommend buying in bulk when possible or getting them online (affiliate link). You may be tempted to use roasted cashews, but the flavor will not be the same.
- Water – adding a little water (pref. purified) to the cashews is all you need to make it perfectly thick and creamy.
- Lemon – adds a bit of zing and zestiness.
- Apple cider vinegar – we love adding both lemon and APV for a super zingy finish.
- Mineral salt – just a pinch to bring out all the flavors. And as always with our recipes, use salt to tast.
Recommended Equipment: Use a high-speed or small personal blender (affiliate link) for the best results.
Can I Add Flavors?
Yes, I love adding fresh chopped chives, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon onion powder, or a small diced jalapeno for a change of taste. When adding flavor, I suggest blending chives and jalapeno in by hand at the end. For a sweet variation, try this Sweet Cashew Cream.
How To Make Vegan Cream Cheese
Making vegan cream cheese only takes a few simple steps:
- Soak cashews. Soften the cashews by soaking them in hot water for 10 minutes. Alternately, soak them for 2 – 3 hours in cool water. Cashews don’t need any longer than 3 hours to soak but will be fine if soaked overnight. Soaking also aids in digestion and is good for those with sensitivities. Drain well and give a good rinse before using.
- Blend. Add the ingredients to the blender cup and process until creamy. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides every now and then. Once done, taste for flavor, adding more lemon or apple cider vinegar for more tang.
- Eat as is or chill. Serve right away or keep in the refrigerator to chill and thicken even more.
How To Store + Freeze
- Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
- Freezer: This cashew cream cheese can be kept in the freezer, in a freezer-safe container, for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using.
Serving Suggestions
You can use this vegan version anywhere dairy cream cheese is called for. We absolutely love it and use it often!
- Smear on crackers and bagels (sweet or savory)
- Make cream cheese-filled celery sticks
- Serve with a platter of fruit and slices of bread
- Use it in baking, like this Persimmon Ricotta Scones
- It’s excellent in this Zucchini Ricotta Pasta + Mint
Can I Buy Dairy-Free Cream Cheese In The Store?
Absolutely! Before learning how to make homemade, my favorite store-bought vegan cream cheeses were kite hill and Miyoko’s. Kite hill has a variety of flavors and is my favorite. Miyoko’s plain is tangy and great when you want that extra zing.
More Easy Cashew Recipes!
If recipes using cashews intrigue you, take a look at these other amazing recipes using this versatile ingredient:
- No-Bake Raspberry Vegan Cheesecake
- Easy Vegan Mac & Cheese with Peas
- Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
- Cashew Sour Cream
- Vegan Aioli
If you try this cashew cream cheese recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintVEGAN CREAM CHEESE
Silky smooth vegan cream cheese is made with 5 simple ingredients and is a perfect condiment for bagels, sandwiches, and veggies!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 1 cup 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: blend, puree
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 – 3 small lemons)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon mineral salt
Optional add-ins (use one):
- 3 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
Instructions
Soak cashews: Cover cashews with hot water and soak for 5 – 10 minutes. Alternately, cover with at least 2 inches of cool water and soak for 2 – 3 hours. Drain and rinse cashews before using. Soaking will aid in digestion and help make the cashews super creamy.
Blend: Using a high speed blender or small personal blender, add the ingredients to the cup of your preferred blender and blend until creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides every now and then. If using optional add-ins, stir them.
Enjoy right away or let chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Makes about 1 cup.
Store: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, it will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Notes
Add-ins: For variation, try adding fresh chopped chives, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon onion powder, or a small diced jalapeno for a change of taste. When adding flavor, I suggest blending the chives and jalapeno in by hand at the end. For a sweet variation, try this Sweet Cashew Cream.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: I ♡ my NutriBullet (affiliate link) for small jobs like this. It’s powerful, compact, and easy to clean!
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Loved this vegan cream cheese recipe. It’s so 😋 yummy!
I needed this for the salmon lox this morning. Came out perfect and was quick. Thanks!!!! It’s exactly what I needed.
Very good and definitely easy to make. I like to use black salt for variation.
Loved this vegan cream cheese recipe. It’s so 😋 yummy!
I really want to try this recipe out, it looks really good
But i have a question, can this cream cheese be used to male cream cheese frosting?
Yes, you can use it to replace dairy cream cheese for cream cheese frosting! This is something I’m working on at the moment too.
Wu! Awesome, im gonnna try it out!
What is mineral salt?
Mineral salt is similar to sea salt, but unlike other salts it contains essential minerals and trace elements the body uses. There are two kinds of mineral salt: 1) himilayan salt (aka pink salt) 2) celtic sea salt (grey). It can be found in bulk, and is also sold in grinders (Trader Joe’s has a great price). It can be expensive so be sure to look around. I use it almost exclusively and will buy a big bag of it which lasts me a looong time. I use this Terrasoul Himalayan Salt from amazon. I tastes nice and you don’t generally need to use as much as regular salt. Hope that helps!
Awesome! I have pink himilayan! Thank you!
How long can it be stored for in the refrigerator? Thanks.
It will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator. I’ve added it to the recipe card for reference. Enjoy!
I absolutely love this recipe. I think it tastes better than dairy cream cheese. I just changed to vegan , I wondered if I could live without cream cheese, sour cream . I’m so encouraged. Thanks for your recipes!!
Yay, so glad you found this recipe! I agree, it’s better than dairy cream cheese! Cheers :)
Hello! I love your recipes. I seriously live on them.
I bought a smaller processor to make this, but it never got creamy – we used it as ricotta instead.
I see you used the Nutribullet, but we are not smoothie people.
Do you think an immersion blender would help it to get creamier?
It also was on the sweet side for a cream cheese.
I’d like to make it again with more acid ingredients.
Hi Ruth, so glad the recipes are working well for you. This cream cheese is definitely not as tangy as some so adding more acid will help with that. This is more like the Philadelphia cream cheese. Please let us know how much acid you used so we can note it in the recipe for others who want a tangier cream cheese.
I don’t think an immersion blender will get it any creamier than your blender, but you can give it a try. I would say try blending it a little longer and see if that helps.
I love my nutribullet, it’s powerful, especially for small jobs like this. I’m not much of a smoothie maker either (but my daughter is). I use it for so many other things like making almond parmesan, cashew sour cream, caesar salad dressing, just about anything the calls for blending nuts, as long as it’s not a huge amount.
Hope that helps, and keep enjoying the recipes! :)
Oh, it tastes good, but a tad not thick enough. What can I do now? Looking forward to this very much. Also, need to make some bagels.
Put it the refrigerator and it will thicken up perfectly! Or put it the freezer for about 30 minutes to quicken the process. Enjoy!